5 reasons why Miriam Adelson faces criticism from NBA fans
Miriam Adelson is set to acquire the Dallas Mavericks. Shams Charania and other NBA insiders reported that Adelson will take over the majority share of the Mavs and will pay around $3.5 billion for it. However, current Mavs owner Mark Cuban will retain minority shares and full control of basketball operations.
The move is sending shockwaves across the NBA as Cuban is the most famous and front-facing owner in the league. Many are surprised that he is relinquishing majority control of his team.
NBA fans are also stunned by the new owner. Adelson is from a casino tycoon family who owns Sands Corporation. They own many of the largest casinos in Las Vegas and around the world including Singapore and Macao.
The move is a part of a larger business deal as Cuban is lobbying the Texas government to legalize gambling, following which, Adelson and Cuban would reportedly open a casino in Dallas.
The entertainment center would be connected to a new arena for the Mavericks which is supposedly set to be completely privately funded.
Who is Miriam Adelson?
Miriam Adelson, 78, is the widow of Sheldon Adelson, the founder of the Las Vegas Sands Corporation. Adelson is the fifth richest woman in the world according to Forbes, with her family having an estimated net worth of $32.3 billion.
She has majority control of the Sands company after her husband’s death in 2021. She is now giving up some of that control as she filed to sell $2 billion worth of company stock in order to purchase the majority share of the Mavs.
Adelson was born in Tel Aviv, Israel to Polish Jewish parents who fled Poland in the 1930s. She moved to the United States in the 80s and met her husband in New York in 1988.
The couple got married in Jerusalem in 1991 and have two sons, Adam and Matan. Matan owns an Israeli pro basketball team: Hapoel Jerusalem.
Adelson is now moving her business to basketball. Sands sold off most of their Las Vegas properties in 2022. But will she be a popular NBA owner?
5 reasons Miriam Adelson may not be popular with NBA fans
Miriam Adelson has been involved in a few controversies in the past. Let’s take a look at some facts about Adelson. In particular some things about the new Mavs owner that some NBA fans may not agree with.
#5 - She is a huge supporter of Israel
The Israeli government is facing in immense criticism due to the ongoing war in Gaza and Palestine. Since Adelson donates to the government in Israel, her decision was questioned by NBA fans.
#4 - She and her family were huge donors to Donald Trump’s campaign
Donald Trump is a highly controversial figure with many NBA fans opposing the former president. Adelson’s wealthy campaign donations to Trump might have drawn the ire of some NBA and Maverick fans.
Miriam Adelson and her husband were the largest supporters of Trump’s 2016 campaign. According to Reuters, they even gave $500,000 to the legal team defending Trump when he was alleged to have conspired with Russia.
#3 - Her comments on Black Lives Matter
Many in the NBA identified with the Black Lives Matter movement with the league itself pausing games during the height of the BLM protests in support of George Floyd's family.
However, the billionaire recently made comments criticizing the movement. In an article she wrote for Forbes Israel she connected the movement with Palestine support and Hamas, the terrorist organization that orchestrated the attack on Israel earlier this year.
“Those ghastly gatherings of radical Muslim and Black Lives Matter activists, ultra-progressives and career agitators were nothing short of street parties.These people are not our critics. They are our enemies, the ideological enablers in the West of those who would go to any length to eradicate us from the Middle East. And, as such, they should be dead to us,” Adelson wrote.
#2 - The rumors of moving the Mavs to Las Vegas
Many expect Las Vegas to get an NBA team soon and some NBA fans are already upset about rumors of moving the Mavs to the city.
It is rumored that the Adelsons might want to move the team due to their connections to the city. However, it seems that the business deal with Cuban may keep the Mavs in Dallas, especially if they are allowed to build a casino in the Texan city.
#1 - Her perceived lack of basketball knowledge and meddling potential
Many NBA fans on reddit are already complaining that Adelson will be another bad owner. Some are worried she will not spend money on free agents, while others believe her lack of basketball knowledge will lead to poor decisions. But, if Cuban still maintains control of basketball ops, fans shouldn't be as worried.